Bottle with light shield



M. R. FIELDS BOTTLE WITH LIGHT SHIELD Jan. 13, 1953 Filed Feb. 1, 19 50IN V EN TOR.

Patented Jan. 13, 1 953 BOTTLE iii/1TH LIGHT SHIELD lVIack R.'Fields,Libertyville, -Ill.; assignor to Ab- -bott Laboratories, North Chicago,111., aicorpm ration of Illinois Application February 1, 1950, SerialNo'. 141,706

( c1. ars -12 1 Claim. 1

My invention relates to packaging and includes among its objects andadvantages a package including an improved shield of a type particularlyuseful in packing and shipping light labile solutions for intravenousadministration.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the shield, laid flat, prior to assembly withthe bottle;

Figure 2 is anedge diagram of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side elevation of a conventional liter bottle with theshield applied ready for shipment;

Figure 4 is a plan view of the assembly of Figure 3 partly broken awayto show the bottle in section and the shield in diagram; and

Figure 5 is a reduced scale diagram indicating the edge contour assumedby'th'e shield when it is opened up preparatory to assembling it with abottle.

In the embodiment of the invention selected for illustration, theshield, indicated as a whole by reference character I0, is a paper tubecreased along 28 longitudinal lines as by folding the initially smoothpaper along the lines l2 and I4 and then crimping the resultant flatassembly between dies to form the corrugations indicated in Figures 1and 2. This crimping is not done hard enough to result in a completedfolded structure, but the unstressed condition of the blank is with thesuccessive flats at about 90 to each other, as indicated in Figure 2.Corner pieces are also cut out, as indicated at I 6 and [8 in Figure 1,to leave diametrically opposite slots, also indicated in Figure 3. Theseslots receive the bosses 20 on a supporting band 22. The bosses 20receive the inturned ends 24 of a semi-circular wire bail 26 by means ofwhich the liter bottle may be suspended upside down when dispensing thecontents thereof.

To assemble the shield on the bottle it is expanded from the fiatcondition of Figures 1 and 2 approximately to the round configurationdiagrammed in Figure 5, as by slipping one hand inside it. It is thenpushed down over the top of the liter bottle 28, which bottle includes abarrel portion 30 of maximum diameter and a tapered portion 32 ending ina conventional neck at 34. After the shield is pushed down to theposition of Figure 3, the upper portion of it will still occupy arelatively large space indicated by the dotted lines at 36 in Figure 3.The operator now grasps the upper portion and squeezes it in to theconfiguration shown in full lines in Figure 3. It is immaterial whetherhe rotates the bottle at the time in an attempt to make all the foldsfold under in the same direction. Avery satisfactory package for thepurpose is obtained if the folds turn over sideways at random. Thecollapsed upper end of the shield is then secured, as by a strip 38 ofScotch tape or paper coated with adhesive, which strip is wrapped aroundthe neck portion one full revolution and enough more to adhere to itselfand make a complete band.

Upon reference to Figures 4 and 5 it will be noted that in the assembleduni-t there are 15 folds 40 that protrude and are biased inwardly in thesense that they push inwardly on both adjacent flats and only 13outwardly biased folds 42. This is because the folds l2 and 14, whichare diametrically opposite in the final assembly, are both biasedinwardly, while the subsequent crimping along 13 lines generates equalnumbers of inwardly and outwardly biased folds in alternating sequence.Accordingly, in assembled condition, there isa fiat 44 lying adjacentthe inwardly biased fold 14, which flat has an inwardly biased foldalong both of its edges. The fiat diametrically opposite fiat 44 isindicated at 4,6 and has orposaeiy biased folds along its edges, butthejadijacent-fiat 48 on the other side of the fold 12 has" inwardlybiased folds along both edges. Except for the flats 44 and 98, theremaining fiat's ar'e' in alternating sequence. Therefore, around mostof the circle, except near the slots 16 and 18, the inwardly biasedfolds 40 are folded to the configuration indicated in Figure 1.'In'th'is condition the resilience of the paper moves each-fold 40 justa little out of'contact with the body of the bottle, with the adjacentfi-ats lying at a toggle angle such that the slight tendency of thefolds 40 to fold up again to some such shape as Figure 5 is multipliedby a ratio of 5 or 10 and generates a peripheral tension that causes theshield to grip the barrel 3D with substantial friction. In practice itis not diflicult to proportion the parts so that the axial forcenecessary to push the shield onto the bottle is such that it can be doneby hand with reasonable care by pushing downward on the upper portion ofthe shield without causing the shield to buckle under the force applied.At the same time the shield is used on bottles which are likely to varyperhaps as much as A; of an inch in outside barrel diameter. It ispossible to proportion the parts so that the toggle seams 40 leaveenough room for expansion of the shield to take care of such a variationwithout being pulled so straight that the shield cannot be pushed inplace, or folding up so far 3 that the tension does not give sufficientfriction to hold the shield firmly.

The shield may be formed from a single piece of paper with a lap joint54 extending across about 80% of the flat 44 and about 40% of theadjacent flat 50.

One shape of liter bottle with which the shield of my invention is usedhas a portion at 32 of approximately the same straight taper as thecontour indicated for the shield in Figure 3. However, the shield mayassume the same contour if the bottle inside is of more conventionalshape with a neck extending down and departing inwardly from the contourindicated at 32.

When assembled with a liter bottle having a bail, as indicated in thedrawings, I put a tape 52 similar to the tape 38 around the bottom edgeof the shield also. The tape 52 has its upper edge at least level withor preferably a trifle above the lower edge of the band 22, and theupper edge of the band 22 extends up to the top of the slots [8 and 18.In this way any light coming from the side is prevented from enteringthe bottle. An important function of the sleeve is to keep light fromimpinging on therapeutic solutions which contain ingredients that tendto decompose gradually under exposure to light. It will be noted thatthe shield itself afiords no such protection for the bottom of thebottle. However, in practice, such a container and shield affordseiiective protection for the contents of the container because thecontainer is placed with its bottom on a shelf or other horizontalsupport which is opaque.

The top of the bottle inside the neck 30 is also not protected by theshield, but the conventional cup-shaped seal used on such bottles isalso opaque. If greater protection is desired at the top, it is a simplematter to make the opaque cap with a black outer surface, so thatreflection down between the cap and the adjacent folds of the sleeve issubstantially prevented. One advantage of the invention is that it lendsitself with especial convenience to printing suitable indicia on a flatpiece of paper before it is formed into a tube and creased. In thisconnection it is noted that when used in bottles with materially lessthan the current tolerance of plus or minus onesixteenth or an inch,much less than the entire circumference of the sleeve need be creased.

Others may readily adapt the invention for use under various conditionsof service by employing one or more novel features disclosed orequivagame lents thereof. As at present advised with respect to theapparent scope of my invention, I desire to claim the following subjectmatter:

A light-shielded and impact protected bottleshaped container whichcomprises the combination of a bottle having a conventional body andneck, an opaque cap, a tapered portion joining said neck and body, anopaque band around said body near the bottom thereof, and a bail pivotedat its ends on said band at diametrically opposite points; and a shieldadapted to prevent the passage of light into said container and toprevent impact breakage thereof comprising a generally tubular opaquepaper body coextensive in length with the bottle and the bottle necksubdivided by fold lines parallel to its axis into an accordion pleatedbody having a number of normally plane portions between folds, the foldlines between said flats including two more inwardly directed folds thanthe number of outwardly directed folds, said pleated body being soconstructed and arranged as to fit snugly over a bottle and to beexpanded into substantially circular form at the periphery thereof, thepleats adjacent one end being adapted for gathering about the neck of abottle into a portion of smaller circumference than the body of saidshield, said shield having upwardly extending, diametrically opposedslots adjacent the other end to accommodate the ends of the bail, saidslots being positioned where they can be defined by cutting away thecorners of a flat folded shield, said slots having a width less thanthat of two pleats, said pleats being compressed around said neck, aneck band encircling said neck and pleats, the bottom end of said shieldbeing cut off in a plane normal to the tubular axis and remaining open,the slots in said shield terminating below the upper edge of said opaqueband and allowing the bail ends to extend therethrough.

MACK R. FIELDS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the

